Hoot part 2
by ThunderStorm18
Summary: *Mullet Fingers, Roy, and Beatrice have saved the owls. Lindsey lives on a house boat with troubles, Roy invites her to spend the day with them. She has friends for the first time, but something is coming that will take her away from the place she has come to love and the people she has come to trust. Based on the movie.


"Be back by sunset, or your mother gets it. Brat." A large man pushed a girl with dark reddish brown hair down on the pier. He then brushed past her with a timid looking woman. The girl sat up on the wood and picked out the splinters from her hands and knees.

"Hey, are you alright?"

The girl jumped and just about landed in the water.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to scare you." The girl looked up at a boy that was her age; he had blue eyes and dark brown hair. "I'm Roy. What's your name?"

"Lindsey."

"Are you alright?" Roy held out his hand to help her up.

Lindsey flinched away, "Yeah, it's normal."

Roy quirked an eyebrow at her, "Well, my friends and I are going on a boat trip. You want to go?"

"I don't know."

"There's a girl going with us."

"Roy, what's taking so long?" A blonde, brown eyed girl came up.

"Beatrice, this is Lindsey. I invited her to come with us."

"Sure, let's go." Beatrice put her arm through Lindsey's.

"I, I have to be back by sunset."

"Sure thing." Beatrice led Lindsey down another dock. A motor boat sat at the end, there was a blonde haired blue eyed boy sitting next to the motor. "Mullet Fingers, this is Roy's new friend, she's coming with us."

"Welcome aboard." Mullet Fingers said.

"Sit here." Beatrice patted the seat next to her. "So, what's your name?"

"Lindsey." She flinched as the boat turned on. "Where are you going?"

"We're going to a swimming hole."

Lindsey glanced up at Mullet Fingers. Then she watched the water go by, they went down a grass river and watched wildlife. "This is beautiful, is this where you plan on swimming?" Lindsey leaned over the side and let her fingers trail through the water.

"No, there's crocs here."

Lindsey snapped up and looked at Roy, "Are Crocs like sharks?"

"There both predators." Mullet Fingers shrugged. "Why?"

"No reason." Lindsey shrank back and stared at her fingers.

"Are you going to school in Cocoanut Cove?"

Lindsey looked up at Beatrice, "Yeah, I go to a new school every year."

"Why?"

"I live on a house boat, my mom and her husband like to travel. My brother and I don't like to, but we had to."

"You have a brother?"

"No, I don't." Lindsey looked away and sat on her hands, she nipped at her lower lip. "Just forget what I said." Out of the corner of her eye she saw the other three give each other questionable looks.

"Lindsey, can you swim?" Beatrice nudged her.

"Yes." Lindsey looked up at the mention of the safe topic.

"I suppose Roy, didn't tell you to bring your swimsuit."

"No, he didn't." Lindsey let a smile slip on her face.

"Here we are." Mullet Fingers cut the engine off. Lindsey slipped out of her t-shirt and shorts and went over the edge of the boat before the sound of the engine faded away. She felt the cool water envelope her and her swimsuit drank up the water and melded to her skin. She opened her eyes and loved the wavering light through the water. Lindsey broke through the surface on the other side of the boat. "Whoa, I thought you were going skinny-dipping."

Lindsey blushed and sank up to her nose, she treaded water as she saw Beatrice glare at Mullet Fingers. Roy and Mullet Fingers pulled off their shirts and adjusted the strings on their swim trunks. Then Beatrice pulled off her t-shirt and shorts to join Lindsey. "Have you ever swam with manatees?"

"No, but I've swam with dolphins and almost with sharks."

"Is that why you're scared of sharks?"

"Yeah, I made it out, but my brother didn't."

"You did have a brother."

Lindsey paled and dove under water, she swam past Beatrice, the boat, and the two splashing boys. She came across a sandbar and walked up onto it. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her knees. She watched as Beatrice came after her.

"I didn't mean to upset you." Beatrice sat on the sand next to Lindsey.

"It's not you it's Tomas, he's married to my mom."

"What about him?"

"I've got to be perfectly good or he beats my mom. Steven used to stand between Mom and me and Tomas."

"Who's Steven?"

Lindsey sighed and rested her head on her knees, "Can I trust you?"

"Of course you can."

"Steven was my brother. We were swimming out in the ocean one time and sharks came, he helped me out in time. But he didn't make it out, I tried to help him, but Tomas held me back and made me watch Steven be eaten. He said ' that's what happens when you stand up to me.' Blood was everywhere in the water. Then mom had me gather up Steven's stuff to sell at the next port. I kept some things and hid them in my bed. Tomas then told me that I was never to mention my brother to anyone, or he'd beat my mom. You won't tell will you?" Lindsey looked up from her knees and saw that Roy and Mullet Fingers had come up on the sandbar.

"No, we won't." Beatrice said as Roy and Mullet Fingers agreed. "You can't say anything about Mullet Fingers either."

"Okay. Is that his name?"

"No," Mullet Fingers waded out into the water and caught something out of the water. He brought it back. "It's a Mullet fish, that's why they call me Mullet Fingers."

Lindsey reached out and touched the fish, it wiggled and Mullet Fingers tossed it back into the water.

"Let's not waste the day, there's plenty of swimming to be done." Beatrice stood and pulled Lindsey up. Lindsey pushed her hair back and ran out into the water with Beatrice.

Lindsey broke through the surface next to the boat, she treaded water and pushed back her loose hair as the others climbed into the boat. She grabbed a hold of the edge of the boat and sprang into the air, she pulled herself in and settled next to Beatrice. "Do you do this every day?"

"No, we have to go to school, except Mullet Fingers." Roy reached into a basket and pulled out a sandwich.

"I start on Monday. What are you doing tomorrow?"

"We wanted to take you to see some owls."

"Sure, anything to be away from the houseboat."

Everyone grew silent as they ate from the picnic basket.

"Does your step-father beat you?"

Lindsey looked up at Roy. "He mostly pushes me around and hits my mom."

"Haven't you thought of reporting him to the police?"

"What would happen to my mom?"

"She'd get the help she needs to stand on her own and provide for you."

"That's not what would happen." Lindsey turned to look at Mullet Fingers. "Lindsey would be taken away and put in a foster home."

"What would happen to my mom?"

Mullet Fingers shrugged, "She's not taking care of you now."

Lindsey grew silent as Mullet Fingers started the boat engine and started driving them back to the docks.


End file.
